Petrotympanic

fissure

The petrotympanic fissure (also known as

the squamotympanic fissure or the
glaserian fissure) is a fissure in the
temporal bone[1] that runs from the
temporomandibular joint to the tympanic
cavity.[2]
 Petrotympanic fissure

Left temporal bone. Outer surface.

(Petrotympanic fissure is labeled at left, fourth
from top.)

The right membrana tympani with the hammer

and the chorda tympani, viewed from within, from
behind, and from above. (Glaserian fissure
labeled at center left.)

Details
 Identifiers

Latin Fissura petrotympanica

Dorlands f_08/12365631
/Elsevier

TA A02.1.06.074

FMA 55463

Anatomical terms of bone

The mandibular fossa is bounded, in front,

by the articular tubercle; behind, by the
tympanic part of the bone, which
separates it from the external acoustic
meatus; it is divided into two parts by a
narrow slit, the petrotympanic fissure.
It opens just above and in front of the ring
of bone into which the tympanic
membrane is inserted; in this situation it is
a mere slit about 2 mm. in length. It lodges
the anterior process and anterior ligament
of the malleus, and gives passage to the
anterior tympanic branch of the internal
maxillary artery.

Eponym
It is also known as the "Glaserian fissure",
after Johann Glaser.[3]

Contents
The contents of the fissure include
communications of cranial nerve VII to the
infratemporal fossa. A branch of cranial
nerve VII, the chorda tympani, runs through
the fissure to join with the lingual nerve
providing special sensory (taste)
innervation to the tongue.

Additional Images
 Base of the skull. Arrows indicate
petrotympanic fissure.

See also
Chorda tympani
Petrosquamous suture

References
This article incorporates text in the public
domain from the 20th edition of Gray's
Anatomy (1918)
1. Petrotympanic+fissure Archived
October 9, 2016, at the Wayback Machine.
at eMedicine Dictionary
2. Eckerdal O (1991). "The petrotympanic
fissure: a link connecting the tympanic
cavity and the temporomandibular joint".
Cranio. 9 (1): 15–22. PMID 1843474 .
3. "Glaserian fissure" . Medcyclopaedia.
Retrieved 2008-03-07.

External links
Anatomy figure: 30:06-09 at Human
Anatomy Online, SUNY Downstate
Medical Center
 Anatomy photo:30:os-0108 at the SUNY
Downstate Medical Center

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